As the New Jersey State AFL-CIO Labor Candidates School marks its 21st year, we are proud to congratulate this year’s graduating class of 33 rank-and-file union members, who will be running for offices across our state from the municipal to county level. In addition, there are 23 Labor Candidates School alumni, who will seek reelection to office this year, including seven members of the State Legislature.
For photos of this year’s class, please CLICK HERE.
While the Labor Candidates School itself takes place over a single weekend, the Labor Candidates Program is a year-round effort with the mission to build power for the labor movement by apprenticing union members in the field of politics the same way that members are apprenticed through their unions. This is achieved through a reinforcement of the lessons taught at the school and one-on-one advising for union members seeking public office.
Each element of the school is taught by seasoned election experts covering subject areas such as fundraising, election law, campaign research, message development, public speaking, media relations, voter contact, volunteer recruitment, targeting, digital strategy, and get-out-the-vote.
Equipped with applicable knowledge and labor solidarity, New Jersey State AFL-CIO labor candidates have a strategic advantage that no other campaign can match – not to mention that voter turnout is higher for labor candidate races since union members are more likely to cast ballots for their brothers and sisters.
After nearly eight years of the anti-worker Christie agenda, much work needs to be done to get our state back on track. By securing across-the-board labor candidate victories, we can ensure that working men and women play the predominant role in rebuilding and revitalizing our state’s economy. With the solidarity of working people, there is no limit to what we can achieve.
Labor candidates have already gone on to achieve a total of 918 election victories to local, state, and federal offices. More than 141 graduates of the school currently hold public office ensuring that working people have a voice in Congress and at the state, county and municipal levels of our government.
The 21st Annual New Jersey State AFL-CIO Labor Candidates School was held at the union-staffed Rutgers University Inn and Conference Center from August 12-13, 2017. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO once again congratulates this year’s graduates and looks forward to working with all 56 labor candidates to ensure their success on Election Day, November 7, 2017.